Updated: 10 p.m.
Bengals president Mike Brown reiterated what head coach Marvin Lewis said last week and that there are "good signs" that quarterback Carson Palmer won't need surgery on his throwing elbow.
But that still remains to be seen when Palmer starts the throwing part of his rehab this Sunday. Lewis said at his news conference Monday that while Palmer won't play against the Colts Sunday, he won't rule him out beyond this week.
"We have carried him because he would like the opportunity to play," Lewis said. "As the medical team continues to give the information to him, to me, and to Mike, there still seems to be an opportunity for that. If there's an opportunity for him to play football, he wants to play.
 Palmer |
TRUE GRIT: Not only did Marvin White impress Brown with his Purple Heart effort Sunday against the Ravens, but he sent Dr. Lewis looking for the X-rays.
White blew out his anterior cruciate ligament early in the second quarter, but he played the rest of the way with seven tackles.
"My question was, 'Did he have one (an ACL) going in?' " Lewis asked at his Monday news conference. "And he had a comparable injury a summer ago here, so we had a comparable scan to make sure he had an existing one, and he did. So, he did rupture it. The body is amazing, the things it can do."
Assistant secondary coach Louie Cioffi said the club had no idea until after the game.
"We haven't had near the season we want," Cioffi said, "but to have a guy with an injury like that keep playing and fighting is a credit to both Marvin and his teammates."
Lewis recalled a question from Sunday's postgame session.
"There was a question here yesterday," Lewis said. " 'Do I have guys giving up on me?', and obviously as I answered the question, no."
White is the 21st player to go on season-ending injured reserve, the fourth defensive back and the third safety joining Dexter Jackson and Corey Lynch. White lost his free safety job to Chinedum Ndukwe in the middle of the season but regained it when Jackson suffered a hamstring injury a few weeks later.
Lewis said he thinks White can be ready for training camp. If not, the worst-case scenario would be he might be limited early, but he expects he might be able to do some work in June.
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INJURY UPDATE:** Tight end Ben Utecht could be the 22nd on IR. He suffered the same injury -- a tear in the bottom of the foot where the arch is supported -- that has cost safety Chinedum Ndukwe the last three games. Ndukwe could be back, Lewis said, but the team may have to go get a safety to replace White. Lewis said it would use the roster spot.
Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh got a slight Hall of Fame concussion after his brush with Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis during his sideline block but Marvin Lewis indicated he'd be OK for the Colts.
The league's IR stats are a little bit blurry. Here is the count Monday night from the Elias Sports Bureau, which doesn't count players that have been waived off the roster: The Bengals lead with 15, the Ravens and Saints have 14, the Patriots have 11 and many have 10.
